Council hears update on animal services: new truck, fee schedule review, possible $3.4 million facility estimate

City staff updated the Midway City Council on ongoing animal services work, including a planned vehicle purchase, a review of the program's fee schedule and a preliminary cost estimate for a facility upgrade.

A staff member said animal services postponed buying a new truck last year but this year “they're getting it” and that Heber (a person on the animal services team) will ``upfront it'' and the cost will be billed back over multiple years. The council was told the new expense will cause only a modest increase in charges to participating jurisdictions.

Council members were told staff are comparing Midway and Heber County fees and working toward a unified fee schedule; several fees will increase and some already have escalating amounts for repeat violations (for example, an escalating fee for an attack by a dog). The staff presenter noted the schedule is still under review and "nothing's approved yet."

On the facility question, the presenter said Heber has done preliminary analysis and phone calls and believes animal-service buildings are more expensive than typical buildings because of additional plumbing and surface requirements. The presenter said Heber's estimate was about "3,400,000.0" but cautioned that the figure was a recollection rather than an itemized, final budget. The presenter said staff will ask Heber to give a full presentation of the analysis if the council wants further detail.

Funding options under discussion include partnerships with national pet organizations that may help pay for facilities if a partnership is structured; councilors also discussed spreading costs across county-level levies. Staff said no final decisions had been made and encouraged council input.

The animal services update was informational and no formal action was taken during the meeting.